Glitch in Time

Nobama!

2009-09-04T23:38:00.002-05:00

I disagree with everything Obama. Even though I thought he started out on the right foot, I now have to say he has made many questionable moves. It's to the point where I can say I'm glad I didn't vote for him. I still hope he (or someone) can pull us out of this mess of an economy we're in, but I really don't think he knows what he's doing. He is pretending.

Behind the Glitch

2009-06-09T09:52:00.002-05:00

Well, it appears I've been procrastinating on keeping my blogs up to date. Honestly, it is an indication of how busy I've been. Looking over my past blog entries, I've also noticed that many of my pictures are gone. One of the things I've been doing during my 2009 summer break is to "clean up" my directories and files. Over the years, my directory structures and file naming conventions have evolved mainly for the purposes of genealogy. My present goal is to go through all of my computer folders and files and restructure and rename them so that all conform to the same format. The purpose is to better organize everything for my genealogy program. It helps me keep better tabs on the records I've found during my research and travels. So, I apologize for not keeping my blog up to date and organized. When I get my directories and files in order, I'll come back and attempt to do the same for my blogs.

Obama's First Day in Office

2009-01-21T22:28:00.002-06:00

Well, I believe I should give our new President credit. On his first day in office he issued a pay freeze for his senior staff members. He's off to a good start!

Obama's Inauguration

2009-01-19T19:41:00.002-06:00

A little over a year ago on January 5, 2008, I wrote in my blog what I thought, then, about the presidential race. At that time, we didn't know who the nominations would be for either party - Democrats and Republicans - nor any others for that matter. Mitt Romney would have been my choice for the Republicans but he lost to John McCain.

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were neck-and-neck for most of the Democratic race. Clinton was a little behind and falling further behind as the days went by. She wouldn't give up until Obama had enough votes to knock her out.

Then we experienced the presidential campaigns and incessant advertisements everywhere. I noticed a trend, at least from the people I talked to or saw with my own eyes. It seems the youth of our country were more excited about voting than in years past. The majority of them had their hearts set on electing Barack Obama as the next president. Minorities naturally leaned in his direction. Women voters who were wanting to promote Hillary to the office were disappointed that she wasn't nominated and switched from the nominated Dem candidate to McCain, especially after he chose Sarah Palin to be his VP candidate.

Either way, history would be made. Sarah Palin could have been the first female VP or Barack Obama would have been the first man of African-American descent to be made President. As it turns out, Obama and his running mate, Joseph Biden, were victorious.

No, I didn't vote for Obama. We don't see eye to eye on many items. That doesn't mean I won't have faith in him. I pray he does well. I wish him luck in turning this poor economy around. It is my hope that he makes good decisions on what this country needs to propel it to leadership status once again.

Tomorrow, January 20, 2009, history will be made as Obama is inaugurated as the President of the United States of America. He will be sworn in using the same Bible that Abraham Lincoln used on his first inauguration. I'm expecting one of the best inaugural speeches in history. Referring back to my Jan. 5, '08 blog, I mentioned that he was an eloquent speaker reminiscent of Presidents Lincoln and Kennedy, as well as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Happy 80th Birthday, Dr. King!). On the news this evening, I learned that Obama has researched Lincoln's second inaugural speech as well as Kennedy's inaugural speech, most likely to quote them or emulate their styles. It sounds like Obama wants to be remembered after his presidency for many, many years.

If I remember, I'll post a blog about Obama's inauguration tomorrow. Until then....

Through the Lens - DP101 Assignment 3

2008-07-31T19:17:00.008-05:00

Since I've been trying to photograph something everyday, I have had a little bit of a head start on the latest assignment from Through the Lens - Digital Photography 101. The theme for Assignment 3 is Better Composition. It is something I've been working at and wasn't quite sure what the rule of thumb was other than the Rule of Thirds. Now, I have more options available as seen hereafter with eight photography tips. Besides this blog, these photos have either been added to my Photoblog and Flickr accounts or they already reside there. Enjoy!

#1 - Rule of Thirds

This photo was taken at about 1:30 a.m. during an approaching lightning storm. I was hoping for streak lightning in the background but wasn't so lucky. I did, however, get plenty of sheet lightning providing adequate background lighting for the subject. The original was about a 106 second exposure, though still quite dark. The contrast and colors were tweaked in PS.

#2 - No Background Clutter (and Rule of Thirds)

The picture of the deer was taken in June while on vacation to Durango, Colorado. I didn't get any closer for fear of a hoof attack!

#3 - Viewpoint Angle

This is another photo that was taken in June for the Grand Opening of the Midwest Genealogy Center in Independence, Missouri (free plug?) Dirk (in pic) and I are members of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR). They'd like me to be in the Color Guard, but then who would take the pictures?

#4 - Fill Frame

Meet the granite girl I affectionately refer to as Rebekaha. She is the same subject as photo #1. Rebekaha is part of a large headstone about a mile from my house. This has to be the neatest grave marker in town. It stands about 8 feet tall which requires a step ladder to get an angle as seen in this pic.

#5 - Lines

After sleeping in this morning (teachers get to do that during the summer), I awoke to find a fog still hovering outside. Not wanting to miss this weather opportunity, I skipped breakfast and headed out to get some fog photos. Well, they weren't so great, but I did find several vacant spider webs covered with fog dew inviting me to capture their image for this assignment!

#6 - Details

Flowers weren't in bloom outside my home when I took this picture, but I couldn't pass it up for this part of the assignment. It was taken at the Flower & Garden Show in March. Check out the details of the stamen and pistil on this flower. A picture of the flower including its stem would not have been as striking as the flower alone.

#7- Know the Subject

The Church of Saint Luke (Episcopal) in Excelsior Springs, Missouri is the reason I slept in. Another night shot taken after midnight with a 4 minute exposure time. The street lights provided the lighting I needed. Other than cropping, this image has remained unaltered, although I must say, it looks awesome in b/w.

#8 - Breaking the Rules (Panning Blur)

A visit to a skate park in Kansas City today allowed me to complete the assignment. It wasn't necessarily my intention to copy delineated's idea of a skateboarder. It was the only thing I could think of at that moment. I would imagine that trains, cars, bugs, birds, pets, airplanes, runaway shopping carts, and more could be used as a subject of panning blur. By the way, I did try the camera toss. It was scary thinking that my concentration on tossing it just right would cause me to lose focus on catching the darned camera. I managed to eek out one somewhat decent picture after about three attempts. I may try it again if I can rig up an apparatus that will simulate the effects of a toss but without the possibility of camera wreckage!

All in all, I had a great time with this assignment and am looking forward to the next one. While waiting for Hallie to post it (in about 2.5 weeks), I shall continue taking photos using what I've learned from this and past lessons. Thanks, Hallie!

DP101 Assignment 2

2008-07-12T23:42:00.007-05:00

I made it a point to go out to shoot some pictures in manual mode today. The assignment is to familiarize myself with the white balance function. With my camera, when using auto mode, the white balance is automatically adjusted too. Using any of the manual settings allows manual selection and adjustment of the white balance function. Hallie did a nice job explaining it at Through The Lens: Digital Photography 101 Assignment 2.

In my experimentation, I would find a subject, set up my camera on a tripod, and shoot one auto mode picture (as a benchmark) before switching to manual. I used the same aperature and shutter speeds as auto mode to duplicate what was taken in auto mode only to find out that too much light came in. So, I adjusted my aperature and shutter speed until I was satisfied. Basically, what I found out when I moved the pictures over to my computer was that the ISO setting was set to 1600! I didn't notice and was too uneducated to check!

The day wasn't a complete waste though. I did see the differences in white balance settings through my experimentation. The pictures may have been clearer with a lower ISO setting like 100 or 200. I must have been somewhere really dark to use 1600 recently. Oh well. I guess I learned two lessons today - white balance adjustments and ISO settings! My plan is to redo the assignment, possibly at the same locations. Here are a few pictures I took today at ISO-1600:

Hall of Waters in Excelsior Springs, Missouri
Auto mode

This first photo shows the sand colored wall as something cooler than sand. When I was seeing it with my own eyes, it was a much warmer color even with the scattered clouds overhead that were partially blocking the sunlight.

Hall of Waters in Excelsior Springs, Missouri
Manual mode with white balance set to direct sun at -3

This image is slightly warmer than the one taken in auto mode, but it still isn't where it should be.

Hall of Waters in Excelsior Springs, Missouri
Manual mode with white balance set to direct sun at 0

The sandy color in this photo is about where it should be, at least according to my eyes. I still want to show what it looks like if it is too warm...

Hall of Waters in Excelsior Springs, Missouri
Manual mode with white balance set to direct sun at +3

Here it is! This one really does have too much sunshine in it making it appear too warm. The differences are very subtle, especially when looking at them on a little 2" camera screen.

Now, I need to go out and do it again, but with the ISO set correctly! ;-)

Through The Lens: Digital Photography 101 - Assignment 1

2008-07-12T09:17:00.016-05:00

Today, I joined the Yahoo! group ThroughTheLens-DigitalPhotography101@yahoogroups.com. This group was created by an amateur photographer for amateur photographers as a means to learn photography tips and techniques with each other. I believe it is a wonderful platform to use to learn and share various aspects of digital photography. I'm really looking forward to it.

The first assignment is to read the camera manual and then go out and take some pictures. Having had my Nikon D40x for a year now, I've found that the manual is a necessity when "auto" mode just doesn't cut it. So, for the first assignment, I'm a step ahead. I've already read the manual. As for the photos, I've posted some images that I captured just two days ago.

It was supposed to be a foggy morning. I wasn't sleeping well, so I got up early to take advantage of the fog. By the time I arrived at my destination at Watkin's Mill Park in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, the fog had already burned off. I still took time to take pictures. Hereafter are a few examples.

A Still Morning

Fence Row

Old Bridge

Ivy

Photography

2008-07-12T00:09:00.003-05:00

Last year, I purchased a Nikon D40x camera. It's a digital (10.2 megapixel) SLR. It came with two lenses, an 18-55mm and a 55-200mm. The only equipment I've added since has been a polarizer filter and a replacement battery after the first one quit. The camera goes with me most of the time because I want to be prepared for whatever image may present itself.

As with most photographers, my goal is to improve my photography skills. My plans to accomplish this goal are classes, online communities, and trial and error, of course. The most important thing, though, is feedback. If you're reading this, and you see photographs dated after this entry, please comment on them if you have the time. I would appreciate any constructive criticism. Please, don't feel as if you shouldn't offer suggestions as to what could have been different or better. That's what I'm looking for. Your advice will be appreciated.

The Presidential Race 2008

2008-01-05T16:37:00.000-06:00

I have never really followed politics much, if at all, but this year the race has received more of my attention for reasons unknown. Maybe it's because I'm older. I don't know. But anyway, I'm following it more than usual. As November 2008 draws nearer, I'll probably hate politics all over again due to the negative ads and incessant barrage of junk mail and pre-recorded phone calls.

A couple months ago, I completed a questionnaire at http://www.wqad.com/Global/link.asp?L=259460 to see which candidate best matched my views and opinions. Since I was not familiar with most of the candidates, I thought it would be nice to see who I should be following as far as ideals go. As it turned out, the candidate who most matched my opinions the first time I completed it was Mitt Romney. The list was top-heavy with Republicans. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were near the bottom along with most other Democrats.

I just went through the questionnaire again and came up with different results. No, the questions didn't change, but my answers must have. I'm not sure where my opinions have changed since I didn't print out the results. Anyway, at the top now is some guy named Duncan Hunter, a Republican and Vietnam Veteran endorsed by Chuck Yeager. Mitt Romney has slid down the list a ways. Clinton moved up the list and Obama remains near the bottom.

My point in all this is that I'm still not sure who I would want in office. In my opinion, I think whichever candidate I tend to agree with should be the one I vote for. At the conclusion of the Iowa Caucus and hearing all of the candidates' speeches afterwards, I would have to say that the best person for the job, the one who sounds like someone who would be a GREAT PRESIDENT, my gut feeling... is for Barack Obama! What? His viewpoints for the most part are the opposite of mine. But, listen to his speeches. I sense great things are to come from this man. His post-caucus speech was reminiscent of speeches from other notable historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln (no recorded speeches, but his speeches are timeless masterpieces), John F. Kennedy, or Martin Luther King, Jr. Listen to him! Wow!

Don't get me wrong. I haven't voted yet. My feelings may change. At this time, we still don't know who the Democrat or Republican candidates are. We have a better idea of who they might be. And, as a Republican, I'll be the first to say that I won't necessarily vote Republican. I'll vote for who I believe to be the best candidate.

Now, assuming Obama becomes the Democratic nomination for President, and assuming he wins and becomes our next President, I fear great tragedy for a great American politician. Obama has two qualities about him that many prejudiced people may not be able to look past - his race and his religion. One or the other could quite possibly end in his demise. I, for one, would not want to see that happen despite our opposing viewpoints, simply because assassination is not the answer to anything. Not only that, but the United States would be in turmoil. Think about it... race and religion riots... not just in America, but around the world, repercussions would be felt.

Father Christmas

2007-12-20T23:38:00.000-06:00

It is a joyous time of year, one which typically depresses me because of all the commercial hype surrounding the Christmas season beginning in late September nowadays. Why does Christmas have to start in September? I'm a traditionalist. Thanksgiving Day, to me, is the beginning of the Christmas season.

Most of the time I'm too busy to do any shopping. My job keeps me busy even during off hours, not to mention the evening classes I attend during the semester. As soon as the class was officially over and my final exam was behind me, I was ready to do something for Christmas... more specifically for my wife.

I asked my wife what kind of picture of Santa she would like to hang over the fireplace in our home. I could get a full body shot, a child sitting on his knee, a portrait, a profile, etc. Which would she prefer? After some thought, she suggested a portrait. Then she said she wanted the portrait to be of a Santa who didn't wear the traditional red velvet and white fur-lined clothing. She wanted something more realistic. The Santa who we had seen roaming the main street in Weston, Missouri years before came to mind.

So, on Sunday, 16 Dec 2007, my oldest daughter and I decided to visit Weston, Missouri in search of this Santa. Upon our arrival, we parked in front of some shops in the quiet little town on a brisk, but sunny afternoon and proceeded on our search. We walked down one side of the street visiting a few of the shops along the way. Christmas is a consistent theme in Weston. When we finished one side of the street, we decided to head back on the other side. Our pace quickened because my daughter wanted to get back home at a decent time to meet with some of her friends. We visited fewer shops on the other side of the street to speed things up.

There was one last store on that side that I wanted to visit to do a quick look for an old license plate. He didn't have it, but the owner was a pleasure to visit with. We took our time but hurried as much as possible.

Finally, we finished at the antique store and headed back to the vehicle. My daughter got into the truck and I was walking around to the driver's side. A young cat came trotting over to me so I bent over to pet it. My daughter is a cat lover, so when she saw me petting this cat she had to get out and pick it up. The cat was very friendly. I took a few pictures of her with the cat. During this time, my daughter happened to glance across the street just as this Santa character came out of one of the shops on the other side of the street!

He was the reason we traveled to Weston. The cat slowed us down long enough for us to finally get a glimpse of him. I hurried across the street and asked him if I could take a couple pictures of him. He was very congenial and even offered advice on some photographic techniques that I may try sometime. He promoted his town effectively too, informing me of some of the various shops in town.

This guy was the most non-commercial Santa, if there is such a thing, that I have ever seen. His robe may have been red velvet, but it was a full length robe and was lined with brown fur instead of white. He wielded a wooden staff with several trinkets hanging from it and had a nice leather pouch strapped over his shoulder that was adorned with small sleigh bells.

While taking his picture against a rock wall back drop, I interviewed him. He told me he had been walking the streets of Weston dressed as he was for 20 years during the Christmas season. Originally, his beard was black, but it turned completely white in a year's time when he was in his early 40's. If I were to be a Santa or Kris Kringle, I would want to be like this guy. He is a class act all the way.

We finally left having gotten what we had gone for. When home, the next task was to look through the photos for the right pose. I had portaits, profiles, and one full length shot. Some had the rock wall background and others had part wall and part snow. The full length shot had him holding his staff in his left hand. It was the only one that showed his staff. All of the other photos were more portrait or profile close ups. The pictures I took in the sunlight, unfortunately, included my shadow cast across the lower part of his body. Not good. The best picture turned out to be the full length photo.

So I went to work cropping and converting to sepia or black and white. I finally found the right portait cropped from the full length picture. Then I realized that it would look really cool if it was desaturated (converted from color to black and white) and, using Adobe Photoshop, bring the red of his suit and hat back to its original colors. The hat also had some orange in it. In the color photographs, it looked okay, but in the b/w version with the red suit, the orange didn't fit in. So I selected the orange portion and changed it to red. Not to brag or anything, but the result was stunning. My wife loved it! She has purchased a frame that it would look good in. She is ready for the finished product.

As can be seen, my idea was meant to be. My oldest daughter and I had a nice shopping trip to Weston, Missouri, a cat crossed our path as we were about to leave to stall us long enough for Santa, or as I like to refer to him as Father Christmas, to appear. Then, an awesome picture was created, and my wife received a Christmas present she thoroughly enjoyed. The matted and framed picture will be a new tradition in our home when it is decorated for Christmas. Father Christmas will proudly hang over the fireplace for many years to come during the Christmas season reminding us of the day it almost didn't happen.

NaNoWriMo 2007

2007-10-07T17:49:00.000-05:00

It's just about that time of year again to visit NaNoWriMo.org and write to my heart's content. I wonder what I will find time to write about this year? Who knows? I have many ideas, some of which, at the moment, are more interesting than others. Should I write about Surge, a man whose career is as a no-name wrestler until he develops superhero powers? Or Bird's-Eye View, a story that takes place in a fictional world where birds are the intelligent species? Maybe I could write about the second coming of Jesus Christ in a high tech world. Those are but a few of my ideas. What would you like to see? Or should I say, "read?"

Hollingsworth Cemetery, May '07

2007-05-19T17:12:00.000-05:00

It's been quite a while since I last updated my blog, so I thought I had better make an entry. Today, a crew of four volunteers worked at the Hollingsworth Cemetery mainly digging up the fence for restoration and cutting out tree roots and stumps along the way. It is a massive chore for such a small cemetery.

After several hours, a few of us discussed alternative options. Rather than dig up this old fence to restore it, wouldn't it be better to cut it out below grade and install a more modern fence? Some of the original fence, such as the gate and a couple corner posts, could be used in the design. There are two corner posts missing. The gate has a post on each side of it. There is one other corner post still in place. If any portion of the original fence is used, some of the pieces will require straightening. Blacksmiths are already difficult to come by, let alone one who would be able to work on the old style iron fence.

What should we do? What would you do?

For pictures, please browse earlier postings of Hollingsworth Cemetery.

NaNoWriMo Update #1

2006-11-12T21:12:00.000-06:00

I've reached a milestone... I've written over 25% of the 50,000 word goal! The only bad part is that the month is nearly half over and most of what has been written was completed over a year ago. I'm not making as much progress as I'd like, mostly attributed to my busy schedule - teaching, learning, researching, partying, visiting friends and family, etc. It's a hectic schedule! Maybe this Thanksgiving holiday, I can find some down time to splatter some words into pixels and upload them for a much needed spectacular jump.

Enough about me. How is your novel coming along?

NaNoWriMo

2006-11-02T21:11:00.000-06:00

NaNoWriMo.Org was a website I was told about by a Jesse James enthusiast/author in Europe. Although I don't know her personally except through email, I would like to thank her for referring this web site to me so I may be motivated to meet the 50,000 word goal by the end of November.

I have several novel ideas in my head, one of which I've started over a year ago, but have put aside in favor of other activities. Yes, I have way too much on my plate. Since the National Novel Writing Month is only open for one month out of the year, I thought it would be a good chance to at least try to add to my story.

My goal is to bridge the gap between what I have already written, which isn't much, and what is in my head. There is that space in between that needs to be explored and exploited. This is my opportunity to try a few things and hope they make enough sense to be part of my sci-fi novel.

If you have any ideas, get registered at the site by clicking on the icon above. Be sure to leave a comment here to let me know that you've registered, and also be sure to keep me informed of your progress as I will do for you on this blog.

Oct '06 Work Day at Hollingsworth Cemetery

2006-10-29T09:40:00.000-06:00

Three members (Dirk Stapleton, Gary Martin, and myself) and one associate (Bill Flynn) of Westport Camp #64, Department of Missouri, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War worked the better part of the day on 28 Oct 2006 removing weeds and saplings that have sprung up since the first day spent clearing brush and trees (see "Day of Clearing").

The current goal is to remove the old iron fence for two reasons. The first reason is to make it easier to get to the tree stumps in order to remove them with whatever means possible. With the stumps removed, it will be much easier to level the earth in and around the cemetery. The second reason for removing the fence is so we can see if a blacksmith would be willing and able to restore it. There are several missing pieces including two of the five cornerposts. and some of the rails, hairpins, and pickets.

With the ground leveled, it will be much simpler to set the markers where they belong at the head of the graves. Supposedly there were, at one time, other headstones within this cemetery. As mentioned before, there was a footstone found, believed to be a marker for Susan Hollingsworth, but without the last initial, it is difficult to tell.

First 5k Run

2006-10-08T13:43:00.000-05:00

I participated in my first 5k run in the 2006 Kansas City Marathon yesterday morning (7 Oct 2006). My only complaint was that it was very early and a little on the frigid side, but other than that I had a good time running with a co-worker. We finished with a 9:27 per mile pace for a final time of 29:21. My goal was to finish with less than a 10:00 per mile pace. I made it!

I was one of 275 males and 778 participants in the 5k. The average finish time was 39:48. I finished 260 out of the entire group of 778 runners; 148 out of the 275 males; and 14 out of 22 in my age bracket.

Immediately after the race, I drove to the Truman Sports Complex and walked 2.5 miles for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), a worthwhile cause.

Day of Clearing

2006-05-07T13:46:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, 6 May 06 the weather couldn't have been any better. It started out cool, but not cold, and cloudy and warmed up just a little. Later the sun came out and brightened the day to shed light on the work we had just completed. All of the brush and trees had been cleared. There are still stumps to contend with, one of which will be a challenge removing it from the fence. The before and after pictures should give you an idea how much work was done in a few hours time. We started about 9 a.m. and ended around noon.

Besides myself (Teacher, SkillsUSA Advisor, SUVCW Westport Camp #64), today's crew consisted of Martin Conrad (Teacher, SkillsUSA Advisor, Optimists Club), Becky Conrad, Nathaniel Conrad, Randy Long, Derek Long (SkillsUSA Member), John Ridings, Jessica Ridings (SkillsUSA Member), Ben Remington (SkillsUSA Member), James Bridges (SkillsUSA Member), Larry Stevenson (SkillsUSA Advisor), and Dan Carder (Elliott's Scouts Civil War Reenactors). Everyone worked hard sawing, cutting, chopping, digging, pushing, pulling, lifting, carrying, and learning all with the utmost respect for those who were interred here so many years ago. By the way, after counting tree rings, we had determined that some of the trees were as much as 70 years old (approximately).

The gate was carefully extracted from the ground. On it is the manufacturing company's name, Champion Iron Fence Co. Kenton, Ohio. The fence is a hairpin and picket fence with open or scroll cornerposts. Additional information about iron cemetery fences and Champion Iron Fence Co. can be found at http://www.chicora.org/cemetery_fences.htm.

Another interesting discovery was that of an apparent footstone. Although broken, one of the pieces shows the first and middle initials as S. A. Another piece is still missing. It was buried near a tree between the two obvious grave locations. The only family members whose first name began with an S is their father, Samuel Gordon Hollingsworth (1814-1892), their mother, Susan Harris (Mimms) Hollingsworth (died about 1854), and a sister, Susan Hollingsworth (born 7 Dec 1854). The sister married Charles C. Faris in Oct 1882. The missing piece may solve the mystery. If there are other burials, where are the headstones?

Recent Hollingsworth Cemetery Discoveries

2006-04-17T21:01:00.000-05:00

On Friday, 14 Apr 2006, Dan Carder of Elliott's Scouts (CSA Reenactors) and I visited Hollingsworth Cemetery. We "found" some missing pieces of the ornate wrought iron fence including the gate. Actually, I knew where the gate was, but it was underneath an inch or so of soil. Like patient archaeologists, we carefully swept leaves and dirt away in an attempt to stand the gate up. We made good progress, but it is still on the ground.

There is still quite a bit of fence missing. Like the gate, I'm sure the pieces are buried somewhere nearby. Two of the corner posts are missing, too. As big as they are (about 4" x 4" x 4'0") it should seem easy to locate them. They may be gone altogether. It will take a lot of work and skillful hands to replicate them.

Dan and I also located the bases to both of the headstones. Neither of the headstones are situated upon them at this time, although Gideon's headstone was only inches away from one. It was buried in the dirt. We found it by sticking a screwdriver into the earth. Jeptha's marker was moved about 15' away from the other base. It is partially exposed and has a metal peg protruding upward from it. In front of both markers are depressions about a foot deep. It's obvious now that the two graves are located under these depressions. The earth has settled as the bodies and whatever they were buried in decomposed over the past 144+ years.

The next day marked the 144th anniversary of the day Jeptha Hollingsworth died on 15 Apr 1862.

A moment of silence, please.

Thank you.

I made another trip to the cemetery on Monday, 17 Apr. This time there were three other helpers with me including Liz Murphy of the James Farm, Carol Dildine of the Daughters of American Colonists, Osage Chapter, and Charles McCorkendale of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Westport Camp #64 (as I am) as well as the Civil War Roundtable of Western Missouri. Together we discussed a plan of attack on the cleanup.

One of the first steps we decided upon was to work our way inwards by removing brush and then trees. Brush will either need to be burned (if we can get permission), mulched (if we can get a wood chipper), or hauled away (if we can get trucks and dumping locations). Liz lives nearby and said we may be able to haul it to her place. Once the trees and brush are removed we can focus on the fence (Dan knows a blacksmith that may be able to help repair/reconstruct it), and the landscaping as well as stone setting.

Everyone who has visited the cemetery this Easter weekend agreed that it is more than they expected, but it is a gem of a cemetery despite the condition it is currently in. It will get tougher to reach it as time goes by until the hay is cut and bailed. It would be nice to complete this project before school starts up again in August. As a matter of fact a good target date for a commemoration would be 15 Aug 2006, marking the 145th anniversary of Gideon Hollingsworth's death.

Supporting Hollingsworth Cemetery

2006-04-03T21:22:00.000-05:00

Hollingsworth Cemetery lies within this grove of trees.

The fence is in desperate need of a talented blacksmith,

the trees are in desperate need of a fireplace,

the ground is in desperate need of landscaping,

and the markers are in desperate need of proper placement.

If you're willing to devote some time turning this sacred area into a cemetery again as it was many years ago, please write a comment on this blog. Your time, service, and support will be greatly appreciated. At this time, I do not feel it would be appropriate to ask for donations. More information about donations will come at a later time.

For more information about the location of the cemetery, please read related blogs beginning on 05 Jan 06. Thank you for reading!

Spring '06 Return to Hollingsworth Cemetery

2006-04-01T16:25:00.000-06:00

April 1 turned out to be a nice day for a weekend jaunt to Hollingsworth Cemetery. The land owner where the cemetery is located in Lawson, Missouri approved the "cleaning up" of the cemetery grounds. Besides, he could use some firewood.

So, my youngest daughter and I went to take some measurements and record the coordinates of the corner posts. Doing so led me to discover the gate into the cemetery. I was standing on it, but didn't realize it because most of it is beneath the top layer of soil.

Another discovery we made was the base of another headstone. It's only the base, though. No marker yet.

The wrought iron fence, badly in need of repair, measured approximately 28' 6" x 11' 0". The 4'0" wide gate is located on the east fence at the southeast corner with coordinates of N 39° 25.767', W 094° 13.383'. The other end of the same fence at the northeast corner is at N 39° 25.771', W 094° 13.381'. About half of that fence is gone or buried. The northwest corner is situated at N 39° 25.770', W 094° 13.383' and the northeast corner is located at N 39° 25.771', W 094° 13.381'. All coodinates are accurate within 25', at least according to the GPS.

Since the leaves are just beginning to bloom on the trees, there was quite a bit of sunlight filtering into the cemetery. I was able to photograph more images of the cemetery. There are too many to post here, but I will post those that seem to capture the serenity and condition of this place.

CCNA3

2006-03-22T21:40:00.000-06:00

I just finished the CCNA3 class with an A. It was by far the hardest of Cisco Academy's three CCNA classes taken so far. I'm told that CCNA4 is easier. We'll see. I won't be taking it until October, though.

I'm ready for a break. Now I can focus on my hobbies again. I'm looking forward to working on my '66 Chevelle and Hollingsworth Cemetery in Lawson, Missouri.

The weather should be getting nicer so a meeting will be planned to meet the owner of the land in Lawson where the cemetery is located. A few friends and Internet acquaintences are ready to see the site. It will take a while to "clean" it up, but it will be worth it. I'm curious how many rings are in the trees growing up through the fence!

Classic Car Purchase

2006-02-15T22:48:00.000-06:00

I can't believe I haven't blogged for over a month. I have been extremely busy with teaching, learning, and much more. During it all, I purchased a car on ebay. I'm now a proud owner of a 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu. The picture is what the seller had posted on ebay. I'll be driving my dad's rig to Indiana this weekend to pick it up and haul it back. I'm excited!

The James-Younger Gang

2006-01-14T22:48:00.000-06:00

Inspired by the cousin connection to the Hollingsworth brothers (see previous blog entry on 5 Jan 06), I thought I would post some pictures of a few of the members of the James-Younger gang along with their headstones.

Jesse James

Jesse Woodson James was born 5 Sep 1847 in Kearney, Clay County, Missouri and killed by Robert Ford on 3 Apr 1882 in St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri. Originally buried at the James Farm, he had been reinterred in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Kearney.

Jesse married Zerelda "Zee" Mimms on 24 Apr 1874 in Kearney. She has been interred beside him. Zee was born 21 Jul 1845 in Woodford County, Kentucky and died 13 Nov 1900 in Kansas City, Clay County, Missouri.

Frank James

Alexander Frank James was born 10 Jan 1843 in Kearney, Missouri and died of a heart attack on the James Farm on 15 Feb 1915. Frank was buried in Hill Park Cemetery in Independence, Jackson County, Missouri.

Frank's wife Anna Ralston was born 25 Jan 1853 in Jackson County, Missouri and died 6 Jul 1944 at the James Farm. She has been interred next to her husband.

Cole Younger

Thomas Coleman "Cole" Younger was born 15 Jan 1844 on his father's farm south of Lee's Summit, Jackson County, Missouri. He died 21 Mar 1916 in Lee's Summit and is buried in the Lee's Summit Cemetery next to his younger brothers and mother.

Jim Younger

James "Jim" Hardin Younger was born 15 Jan 1848 in Lee's Summit and died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on 19 Oct 1902 in the same town. He is buried next to his brothers in Lee's Summit Cemetery.

Bob Younger
Robert "Bob" Ewing Younger was born 29 Oct 1853 in Lee's Summit, Missouri and died 16 Sep 1899 at Stillwater Prison in New Mexico from bullet wounds received during a bank robbery.

More information about these historical outlaws can be found at The James-Younger Gang website.

Sedalia, Pettis County, Missouri

2006-01-14T22:18:00.000-06:00

This Roadside Park on westbound Hwy 50 west of Sedalia, Missouri has a historical marker for those interested in knowing about her past. Because it contained a brief mention of the American Civil War, it was added to my "collection" of Civil War monuments.

Nicholas Cemetery, Excelsior Springs, Clay County, Missouri

2006-01-08T22:52:00.000-06:00

While giving a fellow teacher a tour of the burial sites, possible battle grounds, and monument locations for both battles of Fredericksburg, Missouri, I saw a low-lying concrete wall near Corum Road in Excelsior Springs. It had to be a cemetery. We stopped to find out. My wife wasn't too thrilled (she never is). We definitely found a cemetery which I later learned to be called Nicholas Cemetery. My guess is that it is really Nichols Cemetery because of the names of some of the deceased.

The cemetery is in pretty bad shape, but the wall is intact. Headstones are strewn around, a tree had fallen in, and dead weeds (it is January) are everywhere. An enumeration of this graveyard can be found at www.orwells.com/nicholas_graveyard.htm.

The most unusual aspect of this cemetery is that most of it is surrounded by a wall without an opening to walk through. There aren't any stairs to allow you access into the burial ground either. A small portion of the cemetery is east of the walled section and is fenced off with cattle pen fence. At least it has a gate.

Pleasant Hill, Cass County, Missouri

2006-01-08T22:04:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I returned to Pleasant Hill to run some necessary errands. While waiting for a phone call (that never came), I drove around town to see what they had in the way of monuments and memorials. I found two at Depot Park in the old part of town. There is also a memorial in Pleasant Hill Cemetery at the northern end of town. Pictures of all three are below.

Hollingsworth Family and Cemetery

2006-01-05T17:33:00.000-06:00

The day before Thanksgiving, Wednesday, 23 Nov 2005, I set out to "discover" some of the area cemeteries which have been enumerated in Cemetery Census of Clay County, Missouri, Volume I. One of the things I like to do is locate different burial grounds wherever I may be. The easiest places are nearest to home.

The last cemetery I searched for on that particularly nice, yet windy day was the Hollingsworth Cemetery in Lawson, Missouri. Having golfed on the course in the same area, I wondered if it was something I had overlooked. The first thing I did was drive all the way around the area where the cemetery is situated, including the short deadend streets heading inwards hoping to see some sign of the cemetery. It had to be small with only two known burials. Nothing was immediately noticable.

Not wanting to leave without knowing something, I stopped in at the country club. The course was open due to the pleasant weather. The proprietor informed me of a small cemetery in a grove of trees and pointed it out through the windows. He then tossed me keys to a golf cart and gave me permission to go look.

With all the low branches and tall brambles, it was difficult to find a way into the cemetery. Once inside, it was like being in a different room of a house. I was aware of my surroundings; however, it was very peaceful and still within the trees. The two headstones appeared to have been moved from their original locations. As a matter of fact, it looked as if animals had done some burrowing. The ground was very uneven.

The inscriptions on the headstones are as follows:

Gideon Hollingsworth
Born Jan. 23, 1840
Died Aug. 15, 1861

Jeptha Hollingsworth
Born Apr. 20, 1846
Died Apr. 15, 1862

The reason for my curiosity about this cemetery is mainly because of Gideon. In the "cemetery" book, he was listed as having been "Mortally wounded at Wilson's Creek." Knowing that Wilson's Creek was a Civil War battlefield near Springfield, Missouri, my researcher instincts drove me to the gravesite.

After taking a few photographs and logging the coordinates with my GPS, I returned the golf cart, thanked the proprietor, and told him I may return in the near future.

Research indicates Gideon was indeed a participant in the Civil War. He was a Private in Co. A, Extra Battalion, 4th Division of the Missouri State Guard in the Confederate States of America. He was inflicted with a wound to one of his lungs on 10 Aug 1861 and died five days later. It is not known where he died, although he may not have been on the battlefield. Otherwise, he would have been "killed in action."

Gideon M. and Jeptha L. were from an extensive family. They were direct descendants of Valentine Hollingsworth, Sr. (1632-1711), a Quaker who emigrated to America on the Antelope in 1682, although it is widely thought he emigrated on the Welcome with his good friend, William Penn. Valentine signed Penn's charter entitled The Frame of the Government of the Province of Pennsylvania and, Territories thereunto annexed, in America as one of the members of the assembly. This document has been published by Yale Law School at www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/states/pa05.htm.

The brothers Hollingsworth also had three sisters, Mary Helen (1838-?), Martha Josephine (1842-after 1918), and Susan (1854-?). There was a brother, Leander G. (1848-?) and a half-brother, Frank James (1860-?), too. The oldest six children were born to Samuel Gordon and Susan Harris (Mimms) Hollingsworth. Frank's mother was Mary (Williams) Hollingsworth. All but Susan and Frank were born in Todd County, Kentucky. Susan and Frank were born in Clay County, Missouri.

The Mimms family is extensive too. Gideon and Jeptha and their four siblings are descendants of David and Agnes (Weldy) Mimms, Sr. through their son David Mimms, Jr. with his wife Martha (Diuguid) Mimms. David and Agnes Mimms also had a son by the name of Shadrack Mimms. Interestingly enough, Shadrack is the great-grandfather of Zerelda Amanda Mimms, the first cousin of her husband Jesse James. Shadrack is also the great-great-grandfather of Jesse James. The Hollingsworths buried at the cemetery in Lawson, Missouri are third cousins to Zerelda and third cousins once removed to the Frank and Jesse James. The James farm is no more than seven miles as the crow flies from Lawson.

My personal goal is to see that the cemetery gets the attention it deserves. Work is underway to determine the legality of restoring, preserving, and maintaining the Hollingsworth Cemetery. There has already been an outpouring of moral support from several organizations including the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Falls/3004/), Clay County Archives (www.claycountyarchives.org), the James Farm (www.jessejames.org), the Missouri State Society Daughters of American Colonists (www.geocities.com/mssdac/), and Eric James (www.ericjames.org). Readers are encouraged to support this endeavor by commenting on this blog posting.

Bye, Mom.

2006-01-03T21:55:00.000-06:00

Christmas Break is over and school starts back up tomorrow. The break went by too fast. Of course, that may have been caused by the death of my mother the last day before the break. I'm not ready to start up again. I've been down in the dumps. Hopefully, the students will pull me out of my slump.

Rest in Peace, Mother (7/15/1940-12/20/2005).

Hello, World!

2006-01-03T19:29:00.000-06:00

It's official. I'm a blogger newbie. It took me a while to come up with a blog name that didn't confine me to a specific topic, not that it matters, but I tried to be creative about my selection. After testing the eWaters to see what blog names already exist and what type of content they had, I finally settled on "Glitch in Time." It doesn't really mean anything, although it does have a nice ring to it. Besides, the "Stitch in Time" blog names appear to have been gobbled up by seamstresses.

In the future, if I can maintain my blog composure, you will learn more about what I do. Briefly, I'll tell you that, as I've aged, I've come to appreciate the finer things in life... such as death. I know it sounds weird. My wife says I'm a morbid person for traipsing around in cemeteries. I'm not digging up graves, rather reading headstones. After years of genealogy research and finding a great-great-grandfather who fought and was injured in the American Civil War, I've turned my passion to researching those who fought for either side - Union or Confederate.

In addition to researching family history and Civil War soldiers, I enjoy reading and writing. Most of the reading I do falls into a couple different categories - science fiction & fantasy and history. Occasionally, I have been known to throw in a fiction thriller. As far as writing, I'm currently working on a sci-fi novel. It's been slow-going because of interference from my job and other hobbies. I'm looking forward to some free time where I can spin a tale stuck in my head onto digital parchment using electronic ink and getting it published for others to read and criticize.

Finally, I'm a computer geek. I haven't always been, but it seems I've always been around computers, or at least, they've been around me. Following a 17-year career as an electronics technician, I jumped into programming to alleviate my burn-out. It worked. Finding a job in the KC area proved difficult, though. There were too many laid-off Sprint programmers to compete with. They had experience. I didn't. The one job I had as a programmer for three years provided me an unrealized opportunity to learn how to troubleshoot and repair computers. The best of both worlds? The PC skills I developed led to a job as a telephone technoid for a major computer company and my own biz on the side. Then, I became a high school teacher. Now I'm passing everything I know to youngsters who are willing to learn what I have to offer them.

So, there you have it. As time progresses and the days fly by, you will undoubtedly learn more than you ever wanted to about a guy experiencing a "glitch in time."